The Giants’ messy situation could hand the Yankees exactly the kind of third-base upgrade they’ve been missing.
If San Francisco is truly willing to listen on almost everyone, Rafael Devers has to be part of the conversation. According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman on Monday, the Giants are making it clear that nearly the whole roster is available except outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and ace Logan Webb.
“The Giants are sending the message nearly everyone is available but outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and ace Logan Webb,” Heyman reports. “But in their condition, perhaps they could be talked into it.”
Devers wasn’t named, but the door appears open. The obstacle is obvious: the contract.
Spotrac says Devers is owed $28.5 million per year through 2033, all the way to his age-36 season. That’s a heavy commitment, but it’s the kind of bill the Yankees can actually afford if they want to chase a star with real impact.
And impact is exactly what Devers would bring. Since the Yankees moved Gio Urshela to the Twins, third base has been a problem spot. New York has posted a 93 wRC+ at the position since 2022, which ranks 16th in baseball, and a .683 OPS that sits 19th.
Devers would change that immediately. Over his career, he’s hit .274/.347/.504 with a 126 wRC+, and even in what’s been a down year by his standards, he’s still batting .249/.319/.479 with a 118 WRC+.
The fit gets even more interesting in Yankee Stadium. In San Francisco, he’s been pulling fly balls at a 15.6% clip, and if that trend carries over to the short porch in right, the damage could get loud in a hurry.
That’s because Devers already does his best work in the air. On fly balls, he’s hitting .407 with a .641 wOBA and an average exit velocity of 94.9 mph.
Earlier this month, he also hammered a ball in Colorado, launching one to the upper deck in right. “Rafael Devers Upper Deck Blast⚾ 110.3 MPH exit velocity⚾ 463 FT distanceDevers launched an absolute moonshot into the third deck for his second home run of the day. pic.twitter.com/tJA4vvwZta”
There are questions around his personality, too. The source of those concerns ranges from his public frustration over how he was used defensively in Boston to a recent moment when he shooed away a pinch runner in the ninth inning.
Even so, Yankee Stadium has already been a productive place for him. In 64 career games there, Devers has hit .266 with an .855 OPS and 18 home runs.
And then there’s the Boston angle. Devers was traded away on a random Sunday afternoon in June after homering off Max Fried, a move that would only sharpen the edge if he ended up in pinstripes.
He came up through the Red Sox system, helped them win the 2018 World Series, and was paid well by the organization. He’s also shown he can rise to the moment, with eight home runs in 89 postseason at-bats.
For the Yankees, the appeal is obvious. Brian Cashman has made these kinds of swings before, even if not often.
The club acquired Alex Rodríguez before the 2004 season after the Red Sox-Rangers trade fell apart, and in 2018 they landed Stanton from the Marlins. Devers would fit the same mold as a major bat with serious thump, and he could slot right between Aaron Judge and Ben Rice.
That kind of top three would be hard for anyone in baseball to match. If the Giants are really open for business, the Yankees have to at least make the call.
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